by Gina Scarpa

For Cochran, last night's conclusion of Survivor: Caramoan was everything he could've asked for and more. He won the last reward and immunity challenge, and opted to sit next to Dawn Meehan and Sherri Biethman at the final tribal council. The jury chose to ignore Sherri altogether, and rip Dawn apart, leaving Cochran is a very good spot heading into the live reunion. The jury unanimously voted him as the winner of the million dollar prize, and he also earned another distinction as one of the top tell challenge winners of all time! We talked to Cochran today in an exclusive interview about his lifelong dream of winning Survivor coming true.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How was it to play Survivor a second time around, having personal relationships with many of the players outside of the game? Did that complicate things?
A. Cochran: Yeah, I mean, my whole philosophy going in was... I've met some of these people before but I only have 39 days to play and win this game. I'm going to have a lifetime to try to rehabilitate these acquaintanceships, or whatever the word is. I tried to separate the two as much as possible. Some feelings were hurt, and even within the game. But it does complicate things. I remember people saying, "Obviously all the people from Redemption Island and South Pacific are going to team up." That wasn't the case. Certain people aren't compatible strategically, like Phillip and Francesca. It's also complicated that we each have these reputations from our previous seasons, in my case, a reputation you want to abandon.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Is there a specific point in the game that you felt the most paranoid or worried you were going to be voted out?
A. Cochran: Yeah, the point that really jumps out at me, and they didn't capture it as much as they could have, is when we voted off Brenda. After we voted out Brenda, I was like, "Oh my gosh, Dawn has a million ways to the end and I only have one." I suddenly felt really, really powerless and that's what prompted me to vote Brenda out and make Dawn feel like I was her only option.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Dawn was being pegged as the most dangerous player to let to the final three, but I was worried about Eddie for your game. What votes did you think he would get from the jury?
A. Cochran: He would've had Reynold 100% and you would think he would've had a bunch more but I actually don't think he would've gotten any other votes. Malcolm would not have voted for him, despite being an amigo. Andrea would not have voted for him, despite being a romantic interest. Michael was possible. I was intimidated by Eddie but in retrospect, I didn't have to worry that much. That being said, I didn't want to even lose one vote.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You really did not take much heat from the jury, and it all seemed to go onto Dawn. Was that surprising to you?
A. Cochran: My plan going into tribal council was that I was going to tear apart Dawn. I thought the jury would be, "Between these two jerks, who are we stuck voting for?" I was going to badmouth her but once it became clear the jury was going to do that for me, I just sat back and relaxed.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You said on the reunion, right before the votes were read, that you felt pretty confident you had won. Did you feel that way right after the final tribal council or did that confidence grow as you watched the episodes?
A. Cochran: The second I left final tribal council, I was very, very confident. No one sees the votes but Jeff and Mark Burnett, I think. I said to the medical guy, "Did I just win Survivor?!" and I was dancing around. That was ten months ago. In the period between, that's when a lot of doubt started creeping in. It was irrational in retrospect. I was thinking, "Maybe it was trial by fire for Dawn and I didn't win." Generally, though, the show wants you to be satisfied with who wins. They're going to try to make it a satisfying conclusion.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Not only did you get to play Survivor, you got to play twice, you're one of the top ten challenge winners of all time, you won the million dollars, and you're very popular with fans. Could you have asked any more from this experience?
A. Cochran: No, I mean... when I was 13, this is what I was fantasizing about. Not the first time I played. It was like an out of body thing. I was thinking, "I'd love to make strategic moves, I want to win a few challenges, have a few people like me, and speak articulately at final tribal council." That's why I wouldn't play again. I'm too much of a perfectionist!

(Image courtesy of CBS)

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